..became a star today.
Bharat Ek Khoj should be part of History Classes
Caught a few minutes of the Shivaji episode of Bharat Ek Khoj, based on Nehru‘s The Discovery of India, last night on Loksabha TV. Even after 25 years of its production and first airing, it made captivating viewing. Should be mandatory course material in our schools. Compelling and interesting lessons in Indian mythology and history.
Enjoy the starting track here.
The Revenge of the Stories
Why create a one way street with a customer?
For over a year now, Lavasa Corporation has been talking to me, initially to sell me one of their plots / villas, and later, as they went through a rather rough patch, to keep me informed about what’s happening with their company. For most parts, I have lauded their efforts to keep a dialogue on with their customers and prospects, even in times of adversity, when most companies would clap up.
All of my applause has been silent. And that is the subject of this post.
Why would you write excellent mails to your customers and make it one way? Look at the mail above. Clearly Ms Anuradha Paraskar has been identified as someone who carries a heavy title, that of Senior Vice President, no less. So that makes me feel nice. But when I want to write back to her to thank her and her company and wish them well, and I hit reply, I get stonewalled by an ID I would never write to: customerrelations@whatever.com.
Now, I have been told of many reasons why companies use not-personal IDs such as this, or chairman@thiscompany.com, but no, that does not work for me. If you want to me to write to you – whether to complain or to compliment, allow me to write to a human being, even if you use a fake name. That’s giving me respect. I did give you my correct ID, and not some goodcustomer@xyz.com, right?
Triple Bottomline business
Met Karan Shah today, the young co-founder of an excellent idea called Grow-Trees. Had an hour long talk. Very inspiring.
Is Summer Internship a qualification?
When I was in business school 20 years ago, we chose a company for summer internship based on our area of interest and to learn how companies work et cetera. If we had a doubt between two companies, we chose the one that paid a higher stipend. It was simple.
Today, I am told students get all confused when choosing a company for summer internship. Apparently, it’s now a qualification. On a hunch I checked the LinkedIn profiles of a few people with 2-4 years experience and I did find summer internship listed as a qualification.
I must admit, I am a bit perplexed.
Insurance cheaper online?
A friend told me you get to pay lower for your car insurance renewal if you renew online instead of thru an agent. I saw an ICICI Lombard billboard claiming the same. I went to the ICICI Lombard website this morning, filled up the requisite details [they are my current insurers] and the website returned a quotation over 2.5 times what I had paid last year.
I noticed they had not applied a no-claim-bonus and I cant understand why, since as my current insurers, they would be aware that I haven’t claimed any insurance through the past year. But even that would not explain the 2.5x policy premium.
I think asking an agent to send a proposal is in the only way to know. So much for trying to do simple things digitally.
Young movie maker needs your help
Received this message from Manav Vigg, a young Delhi based movie maker, who had just finished his first feature film, along with friends. Read and help in whichever way you can.
——————
Dear Friends,
WITH LOVE, DELHI! is my 1st Bollywood film as Film Producer, a dream that I, like millions others, cherished since long but it was unbelievably tough to make it as I did not have a single contact in Bollywood and was just a middle class Chartered Accountant with hardly any financial backing to make a film :(.
However, dreams do come true and as a team we did it: I am extremely emotional and proud to present you the 1st look trailer of the film on youtube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luZPqtXbkzM (or simply search “with love delhi” on youtube) – awaiting your comments on the same. If you like this 1st look trailer, we would be obliged if you can please forward this mail to everyone on your mail’s contact list and post the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luZPqtXbkzM on your Facebook wall, Twitter page etc., we really need your support!
USP of Cast & Crew
Introducing Ashish Lal and Pariva Pranati as the lead pair, this film has its Lead Actor, Producers, Director and Writers engineers from IIT Delhi who have joined hands with some of the most talented Bollywood cast and crew viz. Padma Shri Tom Alter (2008 – for his distinguished contribution in the field of Arts), National Award Winner Seema Biswas (1996 – for Shekhar Kapur’s “Bandit Queen”), veteran Kiran Kumar, National Award Winner Cameraman S.Sriram (2000 – for his film “Blindfolded”), Filmfare & Star Screen Awards Winner Editor Namarata Rao (2011 – for Love Sex Aur Dhokha & Band Baaja Baaraat respectively), a veteran music scholar Music Director Sanjoy Chowdhury and an experienced Associate Producer Ravi Sarin (2011 – awarded Best Line Producer of Delhi).
The Story Behind the Curtains
Have you seen the 3 Idiots? Are they Aamir Khan (after engineering from a top institute, teaches kids in Ladakh), Sharman Joshi (after engineering does job on his own terms) and Madhavan (after engineering opts for wildlife photography)? Yes, but that’s in reel life, in real life they’re Ashish Lal (Engineer from IIT Delhi – now a Film Actor), Ashutosh Matela (Engineer from IIT Delhi – now a Film Director) and Manav Vigg (Chartered Accountant – now a Film Producer)!
These 3 Idiots, sar se paun tak shudh middle class, with not a single contact in Bollywood (didn’t know even a spot boy 😦 ), have made a full length commercial feature film: WITH LOVE, DELHI!, a suspense thriller cum romance Bollywood film. Arranging crores to match the standards of a good Bollywood film was possible only through scores and scores of friends and relatives who supported us, some with 50k to some with 20lacs but each to the best of their financial abilities. Who says people don’t support, especially not financially, for passionate dreams of others, they do!
With the financial support of so many friends and relatives, we’ve made a humble attempt to create a quality film with a sensible and entertaining storyline. We really hope that in case you find this film interesting and of good quality, please forward this mail or share the youtube link on Facebook, Twitter etc.
Thanks a ton…all we 3 Idiots can say is “Hey Bhagwan, Katrina aur Kareena ko bhi behen ki nazar se dekhenge, bas yeh film hit kara dena” :))!
Trucks and trucks of love,
Team WiLD
Manav Vigg,
Director,
RedMat Reves Films Pvt. Ltd.,
Mumbai & New Delhi.
http://www.withlovedelhi.com/
P.S. – Link to Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/withlovedelhi ), Youtube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/withlovedelhi ) , Blog on how 3 middle class guys managed to make the movie ( http://redlal.blogspot.com/ ) and Twitter account ( http://twitter.com/#!/RedLal
Can My Customers Own My Company?
Ok, so what if I start a company where every time customers purchased the product or service, they get some shares in the company? The more they buy [and/or recommend] they more they own.
Will the regulators have a problem with that? What might be the pitfalls or watch out areas?
What may be the notion of CSOPs [Customer Stock Option Plan]? I am thinking.
It’s Apple’s World. I am just living in it.
Oh ok..I get it. So the ‘customer focused’ Apple has not only finally decided to bless India with iPhone4, but has also persuaded Airtel and Aircel, two of the largest operators to choose from its library of ‘standardized’ and ‘globalised’ TVCs. I just saw the Airtel ad that shows Mandarin language characters [‘strokes this exquisite’] and a Chinese baby girl.
The Aircel ad shows the finger of God booking a Delta airline ticket and translating a menu from Sapanish to English.
“If you dont have an iPhone,”, says the VO, “well, you dont have an iPhone”.
I get it, I am the have not in Apple’s world, right? Well Apple, I would rather remain the have not, than stoop to your condescending level.
Get that.
BrightSecrets 